Pipe-bending tool.



F. E. YOUNGS.

PIPE BENDING TOOL.

APPUCATION FILED JULY 8. 1915.

125L610. Patented Jan. 1, E918 3% Wad E 005 5, v a. n my.

FRED E. YOUNGS, or DETROIT, MicHIGAN.

PIPE-BENDING TOOL.

I Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Jan. 1, 1918.

Application filed (m 8, 1915. Serial No. 38,744.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED ELYOUNGS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Pipe-Bending Tool, of which the following is a specification.

Pipe bending tools heretofore in use have been objectionable because they failed to insure a grip sufficient to prevent slipping longitudinally in respect'to the pipe being bent, and were, in this respect, asouree of constant annoyance and danger to the user, particularly in those instances'in which the work was being done in elevated places; they have also been objectionable in that the fixed relation of the handle to the bending jaws so limited the conditions under which a single tool could be used as to render it necessary to employ two or more in which the handles were arranged at different angles in respect to the jaws.

The present invention relates to a device wherein the force applied in bending the pipe is utilized to cause a strong gripping effect upon the pipe itself, and whereby the capacity for forming bends at various angles is greatly increased; and it consists in a tool having a fixed jaw arranged to extend longitudinally of the pipe, and a second jaw spaced from the first and pivoted to swing about an axis at substantially right angles to the fixed The invention further consists in the details of construction shown, described and particularly pointed out in the claims. I

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a preferred embodiment of the invention. Fig. 2 is a side view thereof. Fig. 3 is a plan view showing the movable jaw in gripping relation to the fixed jaw. Fig. 4 is an inverted plan view of the movable jaw, partly in section. Fig. 5 is a side elevation thereof.

Similar reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views.

In .the embodiment of my invention shown, 1 indicates a socket or base in which a handle 2 is received and retained by screws 3. Formed integrally with the socket and preferably extending at an angle therefrom isa fixed jaw member 4 having its outer end turned to one side to form the jaw 5, the central portion of the inner face of which is preferably curved or arched outwardlyas indi ated at 6. ltwill be noted ing lips 12.

that the. arched portion merges at each end into the elements7, preferably concave to the radiusof the pipe, the axis of the concave portions preferably being inclined slightly in respectto the base line of the arched portion. 6 for a purposehereinafter indicated. 7

The socket member is cut away opposite the fixed jaw to form a bearing between the fixed jaw member and the ear 8 for the cylindrical shank 9 of a movable jaw 10,

the central portion of the inner face of which is also preferably concave as indicated at 11; and from the bases of the concave portion the inner face is flared or convexly curved outwardly, forming the pipe bearing surfaces of the bendlng and clamp- The curving of the movable jaw at the ends and the archmg ofthe cent-ool to be taken off of a bent pipe or re ter portion of the fixed jaw is to permit tlie placed to change the bend without having 1 to slide it along toa straight portion of the pipe; in other words, assuming that the fixed and movable jaws are so spaced .as to slip onto a straight pipe from the side'with withdraw it by a reverse action after the pipe is bent except upon first sliding it along to a straight portion of pipethe general curve determined by theclamping surfaces corresponds close enough to the final curve of the pipe to avoid this difficulty. The shank 9 is provided with a perforation 18 through which loosely passes a retaining pin slight clearance," it would be impossible to i 1 1. Shoulders 15, between the ear 8 and the fixed jaw member, limit the swinging movement of the movable jaw on its bearing. On

from the side in the ordinary manner, the

rib 18 serving to adjust the jaw. parallel thereto and to facilt'ate entering the pipe under the hook of the fixed jaw, that is, the

rib strikes'the pipe, which then stands about perpendicular to the plane of-Fig. 2,and tends-to swing the jaw into parallel relation to the pipe. Pressure now being applied to swing the handle longitudinally in either di ect on. th ripe b c m Seated ee' a t the concave surface 7 at the opposite end of the fixed jaw and against the surface 12 on the end of the movable jaw toward which the handle is being swung. The pressure on this end of the pivoted jaw turns the latter in its bearing and causes its opposite end to grip the pipe rigidly against and substantially throughout the surface 7, which being of appreciable area, insures a large amount of friction without danger of crushing the pipe, whereby the tendency of the tool to slip longitudinally of the pipe is effectually overcome, whereupon a further swinging of the handle causes the bending to take place in the usual way.

Since both ends of the jaws are similar and since the handle may be swung longitudinally of the pipe in either direction, effectivecbending engagement of the jaws with the pipe takes place with the handle at two different angles to the pipe, the number of degrees the movable jaw travels from the center or entering position being either added to or subtracted from the obliquity of the handle. Thus, assuming that the handle is set at 67-1- degrees to the fixed jaw and that the movable jaw may swing 12;} degrees either way from the center, the tool comes into effective bending engagement with the pipe when the angle of the handle to the pipe on the side and in the direction toward'whichit'moves will be either 55 or 100 degrees. The tool may, therefore, be applied in one position and swung until the handle nearly reaches the pipe, and may then be reversed, whereupon the handle will stand away from the pipe and may again be swung to complete the bend; conse quently, the device is especially adapted for use in cramped positions where a tool with only one working angle would be inadequate.

Vhile throughout the specification and claims this tool is spoken of as for bending pipe, it is to be understood that it is of equal Value for bending solid bars and for which it is'also intended for use. The word pipe which appears in the claims therefore includes, for want of a more generic term, both pipes and solid rods and in no sense limits the claims to tools for bending bars of tubular cross section. It is also clear that the details of the device may be changed considerably without departing from the spirit of my invention; for example, the handle 2 and base 1 may in some instances be made in one piece. I do not, therefore, wish to be limited otherwise than as indicated by the subjoined claims.

7 l. A pipe bending tool comprising a base including afb'ody portion and a fixed jaw extending at an angle therefrom, and a mov- {able jaw spaced from the fixedjawto'allow 'th'e' tool to' Y be 1 slipped ontoa pipe item the side, said movable jaw being arranged to normally swlng inrespect to the fixed jaw in the plane in which the plpe is to be bent and having two gripping surfaces arranged on opposite sides of the axis about which the jaw swings, whereby, when the base is-swung longitudinally of the pipe, contact of'the pipe with one of the gripping surfaces swings the movable aw and causes its other surface to grip the pipe against the corresponding end portion of thejmovable jaw to on the side opposite the body portion diverging away from each other and away from the fixed jaw to allow the tool to be readily removed from a curved pipe.

'3. A pipe bending tool comprising a-base,

a body portion'and fixed jawfmember extending at an'angle therefrom, and=a movable jaw located between the base'an'd the fixed jaw and spaced from the latterto allow the tool to be slipped onto a pipe from the side, sai d last mentioned jaw being arranged to normally swing in respect to the fixed jaw, about an axis at an angleto the planein which the pipe is tobe bent, the movable jaw having pipe engaging surfaces near its ends arranged substantially symmetrically about the axis about which'themovablej aw swings, whereby, when thebase is swung longitudinally of the pipe, contact of the pipe with one endof the movable jaw swings the movable jaw and forces its other end against the pipe to insure a strong frictional gripofthe tool thereon.

4. A pipe'bending tool'compris'ing a base, a body portion and fixed jaw member, a bearing'forined in the body portion, a movable jaw located between the base and the side, said lastmentioned aw being arranged to normally swing 'onthe bearing in the plane in'which the pipe is to be bent, means for retaining the movable jaw in position on the bearing, said movable jaw having two pipe engaging surfaces, one near each end ofsaidjaw, the whole a'rrangementbemg such that contact of the pipe with: one

'end of the movable jaw swings the movable a body portion and fixed jaw member, a bearing formed in the body portion, a movable jaw located between the base and the fixed jaw and spaced from the latter to allow the tool to be slipped onto a pipe from the side, said last mentioned jaw being arranged to swing on the bearing and having two pipe gripping surfaces, one near each end of said movable jaw, said surfaces being both located nearer the fixed jaw than the axis about which the movable aw swings, means for retaining the movable jaw in position on the bearing, means for limiting the swinging movement of the movable jaw, the whole arrangement being such that contact of the pipe with one end of the movable jaw swings the movable jaw and forces its other end against the pipe to insure a strong frictional grip of the tool thereon.

6. A pipe bending tool comprising a base, a body portion and fixed jaw member extending at an angle therefrom, a cylindrical bearing formed in the body portion, a movable jaw located between the base and the fixed jaw and spaced from the latter to allow the tool to be slipped ont0 the pipe from the side, said last mentioned jaw having a portion conforming to and received on the cylindrical bearing, said portion being perforated, and a pin passing loosely through the perforation for retaining the movable jaw in position, the whole arrangement being such that contact of the pipe with one end of the movable jaw swings the movable jaw and forces its other end against the pipe to insure a strong frictional grip of the tool thereon.

7. A pipe bending tool including a base comprising a body portion and a fixed jaw, a movable jaw spaced from the fixed jaw to allow the tool to be slipped onto the tool from the side, said movable jaw being arranged to normally swing in the plane in which the pipe is to be bent and about an axis substantially opposite the mid-point in the length of the movable jaw, said movable jaw and said fixed jaws having cooperating gripping surfaces at each end, and a handle for the tool arranged substantially in the plane in which the pipe is to be bent and at an acute angle to the line joining the center of the fixed jaw and the axis about which the movable jaw swings.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification.

FRED E. YOUNGS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

